Exercising boot



Sept. 10, 1940. I H OOD 2,214,052

,. EXERCISING BOOT Filed July 13, 1938 Harry L. 6005 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 10, 1940 UNITED STATE rarest @FFECE EXERCISING BOOT Harry L. Good, Reading, Pa. Application July 13, 1938, Serial No. 218,918

5 Claims.

.My invention relates to exercising devices in the form of boots, preferably of metal for desired weight, arranged to be secured to the feet, with provision for adding weights to increase the mus- 5 cular exertion required in body developing leg movements.

I am aware that boots for this purpose have heretofore been known, usable for certain limited exercises, and it is the primary object of my present invention to provide a boot of improved construction and more general utility so that the variety and nature of the possible exercises therewith may be greatly increased with beneficial developing results covering a larger number of body muscles.

Another object is to provide simplified and convenient means for attaching added weights, as desired or required, and for varying their location relative to the boot, as best adapted for more effective use in particular exercise movements.

With the above objects in view, and with others that will later hereinafter appear, my invention consists of the improved exercising boot more fully described in the following specification in connection with the drawing accompanying the same, and its novel features are particularly set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing- Fig. 1 shows in side elevation an exercising boot embodying a preferred construction of my invention, the dotted lines of the foot of a wearer indicating its position when in use for exercising.

Fig. 2 is a corresponding plan view of the boot alone.

b Fig. 3 shows a longitudinal sectional view of the cot.

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view.

Fig; 5 indicates a bar or rod usable with my boot for adding weights overhanging the instep of a wearer. f

Fig. 6 is a similar bar or rod usable with my boot for locating weights depending vertically downward below the boot.

Fig. 7 shows a modified boot construction.

Figs. 8, 9, 10 and 11 indicate varying exercising possibilities with my improved boot.

Referring to the drawing, my improved exercising boot is preferably made by casting suitable metal in a shaping form or mold, the choice of metal depending on the weight desired, and it comprises a foot-conforming rest or supporting platform 5, with its heel end 5a desirably slightly elevated for comfort, and having an upstanding integral flange or back stay 6 against which the rear of the heel may bear when the boot is secured to afoot so as to prevent slippage or displacement during exercising movements. If desired the platform 5 may have openings therein as shown at l and 8 for weight reduction.

As a suitable tread for the platform 5, without involving undue weight, I provide, as shown, an integral depending flange it encircling its marginal edge, which flange preferably has, relatively, considerable depth, with straight bottom edges ll, ll at each side, to rest on the floorand support the foot in elevated horizontal position. And to provide for certain ankle-bending exercises, as indicated in Figs. 10 and 11, I reduce or curve said flange it at the toe and heel end so the platform may be rocked in a forwardly and backwardly direction. Such curving of the flange may be secured by reducing its depth at each side as shown at l2, H2 at the toe end, or by curving the flange itself as shown at l3 at the heel end.

The boot thus formed is intended tobe secured to a foot, one convenient and simple means shown comprising adjustable straps i i and 15 having their ends engaged in slotted apertures l6 and. I1 provided in the side walls of flange Ill. boot is intended to be used singly, or in pairs, to increase the muscular exertion required for a variety of leg exercises, and .my rounded or curved toe and heel ends provide for added flexing ankle exercises having beneficial results also on calf and shin muscles, and permit walking and running exercises. I

For increasing the weight of the boot as the developing muscles permit, or as deemed suitable for particular exercise movements, I provide for removably securing additional weight to the boot, such weight being preferably in the form of a horizontal bar or rod 2i indicated in Fig. 5, arranged to carry one or more weights 21,. shown in the drawing as discs strung upon said rod' and held thereon as by pins 22 engaging suitable end apertures insaid rod. Fig. ,6 indicates an other means of adding weight in which a vertical bar or rod 23 carries weights 24 held thereon by an end pin 35. Such particular disc Weights and the means for securing them are merely illustrative and may readily be varied, or formed as an integral part of their carrying bar or rod.

Moreover in attaching such added weight it is not only important that they should not interfere with any exercise movements, but they should essentially be so located as to give the best results for particular exercises. For instance when walking is involved, the added weight must be both desirably and advan- Such tageously located relative to the foot of a wearer and at the same time must not interfere with the firm and solid rest of the flange edges H, II on the floor, see Fig. 8. For other exercises in which the body rests on the floor and the feet are maintained in an elevated position, see Fig. 9, best results may be obtained by added weights depending below the flange Ill, so that a leverage action is added to the weights during leg swinging movements. Also, where a high degree of muscular development has been reached, it may be desirable to add weight both above the boot and below the tread edges II, II.

The preferred means shown in the drawing for carrying the bar or rod 20 with its weights 2|, 2|, comprises a pair of arms or brackets 25, 25 projecting upwardly, and desirably in a forward inclination, at opposite sides of an intermediate portion of the platform 5, said arms having alined apertures 26, 26 at their free ends to receive the rod 20 and hold the same in a horizontal position, preferably above the instep of a boot-engaged foot. In this construction it is to be un derstood the Weight or weights, 2!, at one end at least, are strung on the rod after its engagement in the apertures 26, 26, and the Weights 2|, 2| engage outside said brackets 25, 25, as indicated in dotted lines particularly in Fig. 2. The brackets 25, 25 may be integrally cast with the boot, or separately formed and secured to the boot in any convenient manner, 21, 21 indicating screws engaging the depending flange H]. The bottom edges of brackets 25, 25 may extend to the tread edges II, II of flange I0 without interfering with their firm rest on the floor, and when secured, as by screws 21, 21, their angle of inclination may be varied by relocating or adding suitable engaging apertures in the flange ll]. When cast integral with the boot the brackets may be as shown in Fig. '7 having a pair of arms 25a, 25a at each side with their meeting ends having an aperture 26a for a rod 2!]. Weights added as above described do not interfere with any exercise involving a firm foot rest and may be employed at one or both sides of the foot and at an advantageous location relative to the latter.

For attaching a depending weight or weights of the nature indicated in Fig. 6, I have shown in the drawing a cross bar 30 connecting opposite sides of the flange I0, preferably cast integrally with the boot and lying wholly within said flange, though conceivably separately formed and secured tothe flanges. This cross bar 30 is desirably located approximately under the arch of the foot of a wearer, and is apertured at 3! to receive the bar or rod 23, which may be quickly and removably secured therein as by the screw pin 32, located within the margin of flange in where it may be readily reached and will not project to catch on clothing or any outside object. When the bar 30 is cast integral, any desired varied location of the added weight may be simply secured by cranking or bending the bar or rod 23 as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 6, and its normal position relative to the foot is indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

From the foregoing description it is believed the nature of my improved exercising boot will be readily understood as well as its manifest advantages of quickly and suitably adding variably located weights providing for more general utility and a larger field for its beneficial muscle building possibilities. The specific disclosure above set forth may of course be modified or changed within the scope of my invention as defined in the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. An exercising device in the form of a boot as described to be secured to a foot and having a foot-supporting platform with a depending marginal flange tread portion, means for attaching added weights to said boot comprising a pair of upwardly extending arms spaced on opposite sides of said boot and fixedly secured to the same, and alined apertures in the free upper ends of said arms adapted to engage and support a weight receiving bar in horizontal position above a foot resting on said platform.

2. In the construction set forth in claim 1, a vertical socket for an added weighted bar formed beneath said platform with its open lower end entirely within the said marginal flange tread portion, and means to engage a bar end within said socket with the Weighted end projecting below said flange tread portion.

3. In the construction set forth in claim 1, said portions and opposite end reduced portions forming rocker ends for said'platform.

4. An exercising device in the form of a boot as described to be secured to a foot and having a foot-supporting platform with a depending marginal flange tread portion, means for attaching added weights to said boot comprising a pair of upwardly extending arms attached to the marginal flange on oppositesides of said boot and fixedly secured to the same, and aligned apertures in the free upper ends of said arms adapted to engage and support a weight receiving bar in horizontal position above a foot resting on said platform.

5. Exercising apparatus comprising a metal boot having a foot-supporting platform, an upstanding concave element for receiving the foot, a marginal flange depending from said platform and concave element, supporting means below said platform for a perpendicular weight bar, a weight bar engaged at one end in said supporting means perpendicular to said foot-supporting platform, and a weight spaced from said end and held on said weight bar substantially entirely below said marginal flange.

HARRY L. GOOD.

marginal flange having parallel flat intermediate 

